Consumer Affairs, the United Nations and the European Union present two tools to promote sustainable consumption

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission have presented two tools to promote sustainable consumption and help citizens to understand the environmental impact of their lifestyle.

The first tool, the Consumer Footprint Calculator, calculates the ecological impacts of personal consumption and has been developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission. The second, the Spanish version of the UN's Hands to Action website, promotes small changes to develop more sustainable lifestyles.

As explained by the Minister for Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzón, during the seminar 'Pensar, comprar, actuar' (Think, buy, act), these tools will help citizens to have "correct information" on the impact of their daily consumer habits, and to make "better decisions" individually and collectively when it comes to shopping.

"We need to start from correct information that covers the whole life chain of a food or a product, including the production side. It is important to explain that, behind every purchase, there is an invisible process which, when it comes to light, is when it really has the power to transform our day-to-day decisions," the minister explained.

Garzón, who argued that "everything adds its grain of sand" when it comes to reducing the environmental impact of consumption and avoiding the "collapse" of the planet, underlined the need to help citizens in this area with better labelling in both the food and social and ecological dimensions. "From the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, we are pushing in this direction because we are seriously lagging behind. The information that is given is sometimes scarce and of poor quality," he advised.

At the seminar, which is part of the series of Dialogues for Sustainable Consumption organised by Consumo, the minister, together with the researcher Brenda Chávez, also analysed how to "convince and seduce" public administrations, companies and citizens so that through their actions they can move towards global sustainability.

According to Garzón, the shift to a sustainable production and consumption model is the only way to ensure a "society of good living". "This always clashes with the interests of those in power, but it is about preserving human life and the life of the planet, which is the most important thing.

Tools for sustainable consumption

The two new tools being made available by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to citizens to promote more sustainable consumption are the outcome of collaboration with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The Consumer Footprint Calculator provides insight into the environmental impact of individual consumption patterns and how lifestyle changes can modify the personal footprint and impact on the planet.

The calculator analyses the life cycle of the products and energy a person requires in five specific areas of consumption (food, mobility, housing, household appliances and household goods) and establishes 16 environmental impact indicators relating to the use of natural resources and emissions generated in soil, water and air.

Thanks to this calculator, individuals will be able to assess the environmental impacts of their consumption and thereby contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations And, in particular, SDG 12 on responsible consumption.

For its part, the Hands to Action website describes the most important changes that everyone can make to contribute to sustainability. To this end, five main areas of action (food, mobility, leisure, consumer goods and finance) have been established where it has been scientifically proven that small changes by many people improve environmental indicators at a global level.

Non official translation